Seed tape is commercially available and can be used in direct field seeding by appropriately lying or embedding the seed tape on or in the soil according to prescribed planting practices for the particular seeds being planted. After planting such seed tape, the tape portion thereof is designed to disintegrate and the seeds are left to germinate. Presently seed tape is used by home gardners and generally in small scale planting operations. Greater and large scale use of seed tape could be expected if the planting operation could be mechanized by a proven and relatively simple fully automatic seed tape planter that was completely reliable and which performed the planting operations such that a high seed germination and seedling survival rate could reasonably be expected.
Moreover, seed tape planting is finding application in some crops that were previously field started by transplanting plants directly in the field. For example, in the case of tobacco there is now experimental work with direct field seeding by the use of seed tape. Obviously, direct field seeding eliminates transplanting in such cases, which is expensive and time consuming. Thus, if direct field seeding can be commercially perfected for conventional transplanted crops such as tobacco, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes, etc., then the crop production efficiency of such crops should be increased. However, one of the determining factors that will influence the success and acceptance of direct field seeding in conventional transplanted crops will be whether or not a successful automatic seed tape planter can be produced that is reliable, efficient, has large planting capacity, and which provides for the protection of the seed and initial seedlings in order that a high rate of seed germination and seedling survival is accomplished.